March Author of the Month: Lilly Black

My Author of the Month for March is a writer taking the world of Erotica and implementing BDSM, mystery, plot twists, and creating a story that will leave you wanting more. Her stories are not for the faint at heart. A type of naughtiness that spins a tale of seductive deliciousness that is all her own. Making a name for herself with her ever so popular, 5 Star Jaded Series, I give you a personal look at Author Lilly Black!

Author Bio

After leaving San Diego, Lilly Black now resides in the southeastern U.S. with her husband of twenty years, without whom she “could not possibly have written the Jaded series. He is my best friend, my lover, my strongest supporter, and my biggest fan. He is my Master, my slave, my inspiration, my fantasy, my research assistant, and best of all, my Cain.”

The Interview

What inspired you to write erotic stories?

LB: I was working on a fantasy series, and I found myself writing sex scenes that really didn’t belong. Then a friend talked me into reading the first erotic romance book I ever read, and I realized I needed to put the fantasy series aside and get the erotica out of my system. I’m working on my fifth book right now, and it’s still not out of my system.

Who are some of your favorite Authors and how have their stories influenced you?

LB: My favorites are Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Brian Lumley. I’m not sure their stories have influenced what I’ve put out so far, but with my next book, I am slowly venturing into the paranormal.

Are any of your books based on personal experience?

LB: Not really, but I think to a certain extent, a lot of what I write can be traced back to some personal experience, even if the path is pretty convoluted.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

LB: My husband and I write and record music together, though we’ve yet to release any of it beyond a few clips of music, I have used them to back promo videos for my books.

How do you handle a negative review?

LB: Not everyone is going like everything. I do wish that people wouldn’t give low ratings without explanation because we can always learn from valid criticism.

Have you ever written a book and never published it?

LB: I have about three books worth of that fantasy series complete with maps, languages, species, religions, and visuals of planets created in gimp. I may come back to it at some point, though I suspect I’m more likely to re-purpose it into less complicated story-lines that lend themselves better to the occasional erotic scene.

Women have become more bold and empowered by their sexuality, do you write your female characters with this in mind?

LB: Absolutely! And I hope I get better in doing so. I believe that women should have the same sexual freedoms as men in our society and not be shamed for things that men are praised for, but there is so much that is deeply rooted in our culture that I’m sure if I went back and reread my first book, I would find that I’m guilty of phrasing things in ways that I would phrase differently if I wrote them today. I’m evolving as a writer and realizing the impact of each word I choose. Maybe that’s why it takes me so long to publish a new book, but it’s worth it. And just as in real life, as my female characters become stronger, the males do not become weaker. They become even stronger themselves because when all people are treated as equals, we are all better off for it.

Has the feedback from the Jaded Series been positive and how many books will be in that series?

LB: So far, I’ve received almost exclusively positive feedback. I have had a couple of people who couldn’t finish it because of personal issue that made some events unpalatable, but overall, I’ve been very honored by the feedback.

There are four books in the Jaded Series, and though it is now complete, you may be seeing some of the characters pop up later in other series.

Are you working on anything new? If yes, when can we expect it to be released?

LB: I am working on the first book in a new series that is paranormal romance. I’m hoping to have it ready by the end of March.

Do you think Social Media has an impact on the success of your work and do you struggle to get the word out about your work?

LB: Social media was a lot more helpful before Facebook changed the algorithms of the newsfeed. Now, most posts are just chirping crickets unless you can get a lot of people engaged right away. The unfortunate thing is that there are not too many places to advertise erotic romance because of the content. It’s hard to get my work out there, and I am really just flying by the seat of my pants and learning as I go.

Do you think some writers go too far in their kink, or are you open to letting the creative juices flow as they may?

LB: That’s a tough question. Have you ever heard of the guy from NY who was arrested for plotting to cannibalize his wife on a dark fetish website? He claims he was just writing erotica, that the idea of cooking and eating a woman turns him on, but he never planned to act on it, so his arrest was technically thought crime. But there are people out there who become so invested in their fetishes that it can lead to harm in the real world. For people who can keep fantasy separate from the urge to act, I guess there should be no limits, but I have limits of what I would be willing to even consider writing in the realm of erotica. If I was writing horror, that’s a different story. Of course, you were probably just talking about gangbangs and nipple clamps, and I took it to a very dark place. My bad.

Describe yourself in three words?

LB: Chaotic Passionate Sympathetic

Finally, what personal message do you have for your readers and how important is their support to you?

LB: It’s been the best part of this whole process. Nothing makes my day like hearing that someone was touched by something that I have written.